A skeptical left-liberal's blog, including skepticism about left-liberalism, but even more about other issues of politics. A skeptical look at Gnu Atheism, religion, social sciences, more. And me? I am who I am... more later...

April 08, 2012

Freedom of petition and the bipartisan police state

Having been in Denver in 2008, the day before the Democratic Convention assembled, in part to officially nominate Preznit "Looking Forward," and having
already seen freedom of petition restrictions there, I agree with this column
that this is another area where we have bipartisan collusion moving us closer
to a police state in some ways.

But, Barack Obama in 2008 could have said something to the DNC, or the Democratic mayor of Denver, John Hickenlooper, to try to get the Denver PD to ease up. True, it wasn't as bad as the GOP convention in Minneapolis, but it was bad enough.

And now, this:

Tampa, Fla., which will host the Republicans from Aug. 27 to
30, and Charlotte, N.C., which will host the Democrats from Sept. 3 to 7, are
already following the trend. Charlotte has adopted an ordinance that expands
the power of the local police to detain, search and arrest persons in its
downtown core. (The Charlotte ordinance also bans camping on city-owned
property, a clear response to the Occupy movement.)

The DNC got Charlotte to deliver more union-contracted jobs for the convention. The DNC, with Obama's weight behind it, could speak out about the new ordinance, too. But hasn't.

(To be clear, policies seeking to marginalize dissent do not have a
partisan cast. Under the Obama administration, would-be protesters in
Manhattan and Austin, Tex., have been prevented — on pain of arrest —
from demonstrating near presidential events.)

That's our "constitutional lawyer" president ... again, not really caring about the Constitution.

I wish the "Democrats right or wrong" types would at least be more honest about this. Say that you're going to vote for him in spite of this, because you can't pull the third-party trigger. (And make that statement without bashing people like me who WILL pull the Green trigger.)

Just be more honest than the preznit you're voting for. Is that too much?